The Dead Man's Party
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: AH/AU: Hoping to give Chloe a nice time for her rare night off of work, Lucifer suggests they attend a murder mystery party given by a daughter of his, the result of a fling he had many years ago. But when her argument with a neighbor inadvertently leads to his death, she begins to regret telling everyone to get into their parts. One-shot.


Disclaimer: Only the plot belongs to me!

 **A/N: As with every fiction that I do pretty much, this is an AU/AH story, thus you will see things written that are different from canon _Lucifer._**

"Would you be interested in coming to a party with me tonight, Detective?" Lucifer asked Chloe and pulled an invitation out of his pocket that listed several names and life stories on it. "It's one of those murder mystery things, so I understand if you don't cause you deal with enough murder during your work hours." He grinned. "But on the other hand, they're giving us dinner and it might give you the chance to be on the other side of the crime. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"Yeah, sure, okay," Chloe nodded. "Dan wanted to do something with Trixie this weekend so I could use something to do. Just who is throwing this party?"

Lucifer sucked in his breath. "This probably one of those situations where my therapist would tell me to be honest. You want me to be honest, right? Even if what I tell you might upset you?"

"Sure," Chloe nodded. "Honesty is good."

"Well...the young lady throwing the party, she's...she's kind of my...daughter." Lucifer got out.

"Your daughter?" Chloe's jaw dropped. "How did you have a kid?"

"Oh, I would think you'd know the process," Lucifer smiled. "Since you have one of your own and all."

"That's not what I meant," Chloe corrected. "When did this happen?"

"About twenty years ago, give or take a few years," Lucifer replied. "One of my many attempts to stick it to Dad before this one finally stuck. I met a lovely young woman, we had a nice weekend together, and then...next thing you know, Lydia shows up. She got a lot more from her mother than she did from me...except my powers, of course. Those showed themselves almost immediately, which is why the poor girl was terrified when she came to me."

"And you...you accepted her as yours?" Chloe asked. "You didn't try and back out or anything?"

"How could I do that, Detective?" Lucifer questioned. "I couldn't, not when it was perfectly obvious that she was exactly who she said she was. And she's a perfectly lovely person, by the way. It'll be a nice, peaceful evening, and nothing will go wrong."

"All right," Chloe nodded. "What's my character's name?"

"Well, let me look," Lucifer replied. "It's got a 20s' theme, so that should be fun. You are Malissa Forthot, ambitious crime reporter. And I...am some sort of playboy baseball player. Interesting choice. Lydia is a torch singer."

"Ah," Chloe nodded. "All right. "So...when do we go tonight?"

"We have to be there by seven," Lucifer informed her. "Want me to pick you up?"

"Sure," Chloe nodded. "See you at...six-thirty?"

"Sounds good," Lucifer grinned. "I'll be there."

* * *

"So you actually got your dad to come?" Megan, the caterer for the party asked as she adjusted her maid uniform. "I thought you told me he wouldn't come anywhere near where you lived!"

"He changed his mind when I moved out of my old apartment into this bigger one in a much safer neighborhood," Lydia told her, brushing a strand of honey blonde hair out of her dark brown eyes. She wore a black silk dress and matching gloves. "And when I told him he could bring a friend, he was even more excited." She grinned and gave a little hop. "It's so exciting to do activities that are intellectual and stimulating instead of the usual friday night at a bar!"

Then she heard the doorbell. It was her first guest! It was so exciting! It was her friend Annie, who was playing the role of a flapper and gangster's moll. After greeting each other, they got drinks and began talking about the party in tones that were a little louder than normal, but not obnoxiously so.

However, they aroused the ire of neighbor who lived next door, making him pound on the wall and shout. "Lydia, will you keep the noise down?"

"But we weren't talking that loud, were we?" Annie blushed and put her glass down. "I didn't mean to disturb him."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Lydia scoffed. "He's a grouch. That's how he is all the time, no matter what I do."

After that, more guests came and the room was full of even more talking and laughter.

"Well, look at this party!" Lucifer explained with a grin as Lydia opened the door for him and Chloe and he gave her a hug. "I knew it wouldn't be boring! Oh, and Lydia, this is my...this is Chloe. We work together."

"Nice to meet you, Chloe," she smiled. "Why don't the two of you have a drink? I got a full bar, so..."

"I've taught you well," Lucifer grinned. "That makes me happy."

"Keep it down!" Lydia's neighbor yelled, which was heard clearly through the open front door.

"Who's that?" Chloe asked Lydia.

"Oh, it's just my stupid neighbor," Lydia sighed. "Ignore him. He has no concept of fun at all."

But it wasn't long after that she got a phone call about him calling the cops about the noise level.

"Shit," she cried.

"What's going on?" Lucifer asked. "Is it that damn neighbor of yours again? Do you want me to deal with him?"

"No, you don't have to do that!" Lydia assured him. "Let me handle this in my own way. I think that would be better for everyone. And you can start the party while I'm gone. I'll catch up when I get back. And remember, everyone, stayin character because it's the only way you'll get anything out of this party!"

"Wow, I like her," Chloe remarked and took a swig of her drink. "That sense of restraint. You could learn a thing or two, Lucifer."

"Oh, I don't think I could," he shook his head. "But she won't listen to me, and I suppose all I can do as a result is let her make her own mistakes."

"That's surprisingly mature of you," Chloe said in surprise. "But the question is, how long will it last?"

They then put their cups down as the game coordinator, who was dressed similarly to Sherlock Holmes, told them to gather around so he could begin the party narrative, the story of the rough and tumble times in gangland Chicago and how shady it all was.

Meanwhile, Lydia was in search of her neighbor, the curmudgeonly Dr. Hyde. He wasn't in his apartment, so, with a sigh, she headed back to hers, where she found him waiting outside, in red bathrobe, with a scowl on his face. "What do you want?" Lydia demanded. "You can't call the police on us! We haven't done anything wrong!"

"Oh, but that's not true, is it?" He asked, narrowing his eyes as he peered at her. "I told you that if you didn't keep the noise down, I would call the police, but you didn't listen. You're just one of those impossible young people who don't listen to or respect their elders and it's about time you learned."

"No, _you're_ the impossible one!" Lydia yelled. "You listen to me! I'm tired of you telling me to be quiet, I'm tired of you putting your trash by my door, I'm tired of you thinking I'm the mean one when you're just a big grouch and I'm tired of living next to _you!"_ When she said this last word, two things happened simultaneously. One, she felt warmth around her eyes, meaning, as she knew from experience, that the powers she'd inherited from dear old Dad were acting up. And two, Dr. Hyde suddenly went rigid and fell to the ground with a thud.

It was Lucifer and Chloe who found Lydia leaning over the man's body a few minutes later, saying, "Dr. Hyde? Dr. Hyde, this isn't funny! Please wake up!"

"What's going on here?" Chloe asked. "Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not," Lydia shook her head and sighed. "Dr. Hyde is dead!"

"Wait a minute!" Lucifer cried. "This is him? This is the man who annoyed you?"

"Yes!" Lydia nodded. "This is him and he's dead!"

"And you were the last one to see him!" Lucifer exclaimed. "It seems like you have a motive!"

Realizing what he was getting at, Lydia stood up and shook her head. "No, no! This is not part of the dinner! My neighbor's really dead!" Then she put a hand on Chloe's arm. "I know this isn't during your normal work time, so I'll call someone else to come and collect him. Would you tell everyone what's going on?"

"Sure, we will!" Lucifer agreed. "Not to worry, darling." He then took Chloe's arm and they walked inside the apartment. "Lydia really knows how to throw a party, doesn't she?" He asked. "And I really had no idea that she was such a fabulous actress."

"What if she's not lying?" Chloe asked. "What if her neighbor really died?" Chloe leaned in and whispered, "What if she killed him? I know she's your daughter and all, but she does have motive."

This made Lucifer burst out laughing. "Come now, Chloe! There was no real murder! It's all a gag!" He went up to the game coordinator and told him, "The body's next door."

"Oh, damn," the man cried. "He's supposed to be in _here_! That's what i get for hiring a guy just because he promised me he would introduce me to his sister!"

Hearing this, everyone left Lydia's apartment and went to look at the body. "Let's get him into the apartment, shall we?" Lucifer asked and began dragging him in that direction as Chloe tried to stop him.

"This is a terrible idea!" She cried. "We could very well be disturbing a real crime scene!"

"Oh, come on, Chloe!" Lucifer told her. "Remember what Lydia said: we have to get into the spirit of things or else we won't enjoy the party. Let yourself have at least one night off."

It was then that everyone looked on in shock as a man dressed in a waiter's tie and tails stumbled into the room, clutching his throat. "Help, help!" He cried. "I've been poisoned!" And then he dramatically fell to the floor and lay still.

"Two bodies?" Lucifer asked Chloe. "Is that normal at these things? I thought the invitation said only _one_ person would die."

Chloe shrugged. "I also remember the invite saying that this was an advanced version with lots of twists and turns, so there very well _could_ be two bodies."

Lucifer had to chuckle then as Lydia came into the room with Dan on her heels. "Sorry about this," she apologized to him. "The body might have been moved. I know that's not supposed to happen."

"We'll deal with that when it's time," Dan told her and then asked around the room to see if anyone else knew anything. Lucifer, of course, was totally ready to mess with him.

"Yes, I know something," he said. "This man was deeply involved with the criminal element."

"What?" Dan asked.

"You heard me," Lucifer repeated as Lydia waved her hands wildly and shook her head. "He's part of the criminal element. Racketeering, prostitutes, gambling rings. You name it, he's dipped his fingers in it." He sighed. "I've had a lot of time to read the news reports since my...since my baseball team kicked out me and some of my teammates for throwing games for money. It's made me get into a lot of drugs to cope as well, along with the company of my many, _many_ mistresses." He nudged Chloe. "She would know. She's a reporter and told every sordid detail in the rag she works for."

"Okay," Dan sighed and rubbed his temples. "I clearly can't talk to you."

"Do you need my help?" Chloe asked.

"No, thanks," Dan told her. "This is your night off and my case and I can handle it." But no one else at the party made any more sense.

"I was having an affair with the deceased," Annie said when Dan questioned her. "And I couldn't stand to lose him."

"Ask Jimmy the Gambler," chimed in Lydia's friend Lisa, who was playing a madam. "The deceased was in debt to him for millions. He probably bumped him off for lack of payment."

"You whore!" Cried another friend, Jeff, who was Jimmy the Gambler. "You're the one who's killed before! A world class swimmer doesn't just drown in his own bidet!"

"Okay, that's enough!" Lydia shouted. "Everyone just calm down. What's happening now is not part of the dinner. My neighbor's really dead!"

"Why do you want us to stop talking about this now?" Lucifer asked after giving her a wink. "Afraid you and the corpse will share a common birthmark, Maria?"

Lydia shut her eyes and shook her head. "I'm not Maria Sassine!"

"That's right!" Lisa replied. "You're really Louisa von Kosel of Munich, who spent time in an asylum for unspeakable acts of insanity!"

Everyone gasped at this news.

"That's it," Lydia cried. "Dad, Detective, Chloe, could you come out here away from all these people and have a talk with me?"

"Sure," Dan nodded. "Love to. What's everyone talking about?"

"It's a murder mystery dinner," Lydia said once they were all out in the hallway. "They thought my neighbor's body was the one for the dinner and _some people_ didn't help that problem," she glared at her father.

"What are you mad at me for?" Lucifer asked. "You told me to get in the spirit of the thing, so I did."

Dan looked down at his notes and then back up at Lydia. "So...you think he died of a heart attack?"

"Yes," She nodded. "We were talking, our discussion got a little heated, and then he just dropped dead. I can't thing of many other things besides the heart that would make a person go that fast."

"Good," Dan nodded. "A nice open and shut case, just like I like 'em. We'll get the body out of your way then and you can salvage what's left of your night."

Once he was gone, Lucifer said, "Can I get you a drink, Lydia? You look like you could use one."

"Yes, please," Lydia nodded. "A big glass of anything. I don't care what it is."

He brought her her drink and said, "Then, after you finish that, we can go eat something. I'm hungry."

"Me too," Chloe nodded. "What a good idea!"

Just as she finished her drink and the three of them prepared to go to the restaurant while the party guests cleared out, Lydia decided to tell her father the truth about Dr. Hyde's death.

"I didn't exactly tell them everything about what happened to the dead guy," she said in a low voice, locking eyes with him. "I left something out."

"Oh? What is it?" Lucifer asked. "Something I should mention to Chloe?"

"No, don't!" Lydia shook her head. "He did die of a heart attack or whatever, but I was mad while we were talking and I think he saw the face...you know, _the face_ that I got from you. I think that's what made him drop dead."

"Yes, well, if that's the case, it's good you kept it quiet," Lucifer nodded. "Your secret's safe with me. Let's go have pancakes now. What do you say?"

"I'd say that's a really good idea," Lydia nodded and took Lucifer's arm as they followed Chloe out of the apartment and to Lucifer's car so they could do something else and forget the party ever happened.

 **The End**


End file.
